Click links to feel good!

A couple of inspiring tributes to Pres. Hinckley:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7433508959787481703&pr=goog-sl


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjrDs_DaocA Glenn Beck's comments

Road Trip

Last weekend we drove down to Las Vegas for Chris' cousins baby blessing. His whole family went down, Monty put us all up in the Marriott and we had so much fruin being together with everyone and staying up late playing games. Ryan and Brittney had planned the entire weekend with fun stuff. Breakfast Sat morning at their house and then off to the Springs Museum (like Thanksgiving Point, but Vegas style) where we let the kids play and then ate lunch. After the museum, Julia took all us girls to the mall and let us shop, on her dime AGAIN!! That night Ryan and Brittney planned a big dinner party, Chinese themed, at their house. They really did such a great job in hosting the weeekend for everyone. I didn't get a picture of baby Aspen or them - but she looked like an angel at her blessing.
For some reason Alex sort of favors her grandpas over her grandmas - this is her just going up to Monty to sit on his lap at lunch. If any of you know Alex, she's not that kind of kid so I had to get a picture of it.
And of course, we had to get another picture of the passionate kisser! So precious!!

Road Trip continued

Alex and us at the Springs Museum.
Alex and cousin Abby on the train.
Alex waiting for cousin Cyrus to get down so she could chase him or attack him. I nicknamed her the "new Maggie". Ryan and Brittney have a pug dog that is so hyper, she jumps up on everything and everyone - she bugs the kids. Alex was sort of like that with her boy cousins - she didn't know when to leave them alone or to not push them or bonk them on the head (ie. sacrament meeting). I don't know why she gravitates to boys, I hope she grows out of it!

Sweet Reunion

When I heard the news last night of Pres. Hinckley passing away - of course I felt a little bit of shock, he seemed invincible. But then Chris and I started talking about the wonderful reunion he had on the other side. First with his sweet wife, Marjorie, and then with all the people he knew, his parents his siblings and other family members and friends and other church leaders he served with. Also, with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and all the great prophets of old and in the latter days. Then, think of ALL the people that knew and loved him that he didn't know personally. Wow, what a welcome! I loved him so much, his personality and charm were so endearing - he's one of a kind and will sadly be missed! Click on the link below to view some highlights of his serevice.

http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/media/mediaplayer.swf?media=http://broadcast.lds.org/newsroom/video/flv/GBH/GBH.flv&type=FLV

Too much T.V?

We have a mad passionate kisser on our hands! Last night while I getting Alex ready for bed, she says "kiss" and grabs my face and open mouth kisses me for quite a while and giggles. This morning, she did the same thing to daddy. I told Chris we watched 'Something's Gotta Give' and perhaps she saw too much of the kissing scene. He said when she starts cutting your shirt off, No More T.V!!

Yesterday morning while making breakfast, I looked over and saw this!! Chris plays X Box at night while she is sleeping - how do they know?? Notice the cell phone in her hand, she is obsessed with our phones. Basically anything Chris and I do, she wants to also do or play with. Do they all grow up SO fast? How much is too much t.v? She loves Little Einsteins and Baby Einstein - just out grew the Wiggles over the last 2 weeks, kinda glad about that. We do read alot of books and she plays with her pink kitchen, but there are times I need a break and want her to zone out in front of the t.v. Is that bad? Does anyone else do the same thing? Do I need some t.v intervention??

Old School

I often tease Chris about being the #1 Cougar fan around. I grew-up Blue and love BYU and in fact Chris and I were the BYU Alumni chapter chairs for the last 3 years and still serve on the Wasatch Front committee for Alums. Anyway, my dad bought this coat probably 20 years ago and when Chris and I were dating my mom was cleaning out closets and ALMOST donated this beauty to the D.I. Well Chris wouldn't have it and asked if he could be the keeper of it instead. This was him out shoveling snow today - in all his glory - with the coat that yells "I'm proud to be a Zoobie!"

Retail Therapy!

My sweet mother-in-law Julia took me, Alex and my SIL Robyn and her litttle girl Samara to Nordstrom today. She had bought us the new knitted UGG's but said we could return them for something else. If it was November, I'd have kept them, but with spring around the corner I figured I'd get some spring/summer shoes. I got the cuties pictured above and also a wedge sandal that they are shipping to my house. So excited! Then we went upstairs and bought the girls stuff too - Alex got the cutest Easter dress and another outfit. Needless to say, we spent WAY more than what the UGG's cost. She then took us to lunch at the Cafe and then to get some chocolate covered strawberries. It was one of the BEST days I've had in a while. Chris has been out of town for 2 weeks and will get back tomorrow, so I needed someone to take his place and pamper me. Julia is such a generous and kind person. She kept thanking us for spending the day with her - um, yeah anytime! I'm the one that had a fabulous time, so thank you Jules, I love you!!

Alex raiding the shoe department - they start WAY too young!

Alex and cousin Samara having a great day of shopping, I love the smiles exchanged between the two.

I did it!

First off, I love that I can post a question and get some great advice pretty quickly. As you can see, I got a new blog lay-out - thanks Becca! Pyzam was EASY!! I just didn't have to energy to read through the blog instructions Kari gave me, but thanks anyway Kari!

Last night I didn't give Alexandra a bottle and guess what? No crying, no asking and she slept thru the night! I was fretting for no reason, it was SO easy!! I know now that with the next baby it's something I just have to do and not feel bad about. Motherhood is SO easy at times! ;) I feel a little more ready for the baby to come, now comes the sleeping situation and I've gotten some great advice that I need to think about and consult Chris. So, thank you , thank you, thanks you!!

Too much of a good thing!

Today I was driving home from my friend Karen's house and I hear this lamenting from the back seat (all you mom's know what I am talking about). It's the kind of whining that gets a little irritating after a while. Well, I turned around and saw this! Is it time to take a "good" thing away? She is 20 months old, I am having a baby in 10 weeks and I feel I need to atleast ween her off of her nightly bottle, the binky and get her into a bed and out of the crib. Any suggestions with timing? Any tips that made it easier for you to do the dirty deeds? Am I a whimp? I've gotten so used to these things that soothe my baby - I know I need to make the break. Help!

Kirkland Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Pedigree charts

Technical help!

I 've been wanting to jazz up our blog for a while now and my cousins wife Kari has a very cute and creative blog. She told me at Christmas that is was easy and sort of instructed me how to do it. Well, the other night I spent about 2 hours looking for the html code and then just websites where you can get free cute backgrounds, but to no avail. Does anyone have easy tips for the technically challenged? As you can see, my blog NEEDs your help!

Christmas Re-Cap

Alex with her Kirkland girl cousins, all dressed up in their pretty dresses. What a cheeser!
My cousin Elder (Zach) Thomas serving in my in-laws stake.
Alex took over Olivia's High School Musical microphone and started rocking out, it was hilarious and so precious - where did she learn that?
Daddy and Alex on Christmas morning.

It's been a while since I've blogged, kudos to all that kept it up during the holidays...I love looking at all your posts and pictures. We had one party after another (that explains the weight gain), it was so nice to be with everyone and have no drama, especially since I am pregnant and I'm way more sensitive and easily offended! It was just so pleasant to be with family and friends, they are so good to us. Alexandra got a pink kitchen from her grandma and grandpa and loves pretending all day. It has got her more interested in I am doing in the kitchen, she pulls a chair up to the counter when I am cooking to help and taste test. Two days ago she was observing me making cinnamon rolls and after I creamed the butter and sugar, she took her little finger to the beaters and had a taste and kept saying "nummy nums". She seems so grown-up some days and I look forward to it with the new baby coming, but at the same time she is still my baby and I am sad about that. I'm sure it will go away when her little sister comes and I will need her to help me with things or just be more self sufficient. Anyway, this was supposed to be a Christmas recap and not a lamenting about my baby.

We slept over at Chris's parents house two days before Christmas with all his siblings and kids, Alex had fun with her older boy cousins, chasing them around and pushing them. This sounds worrisome, but she gravitates to older boys! We went to church at his parents ward to hear Pres Packer speak and we ran into my cousin Zach serving in Cottonwood Heights...he's from Canada. He seemed so mature, just after 6 months of being out. Then we went over to my sister Tami's house and had a blast with all the kids in the morning as they saw what Santa brought them. It was nice to come home Christmas day to our own house and take a LONG nap. We love sleeping over at our family's houses and even though at times it seems hectic, it's nice to be with everyone and witness our neices and nephews excitement about Santa Claus!